


Lights On

by Kalloway



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: 15 minute ficlet, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-04 16:58:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17308370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalloway/pseuds/Kalloway
Summary: Another day, Cloud's still not home and Leon moves from room to room, turning lights on and off.





	Lights On

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted June 15th, 2015. 15 Minute Ficlets (DW ver.) #227.

The house was dark when Leon arrived home. He hadn't really expected otherwise, but he'd hoped... Weeks had passed this time. Cloud came and went, like he always did, but this was the longest he'd been gone. It felt... almost like it was working on being final.

Maybe Cloud was truly gone this time.

Though every time that thought crossed Leon's mind, Leon shook it away. That wasn't like Cloud - not anymore. He'd been lost at one point, but he'd been found. They'd all found him and he'd found himself, too.

Slowly, Leon turned on the lights, took off his boots and jacket, then started through the house slowly, checking every room out of habit before making his way back to the kitchen for a sandwich. Lights on, lights off.

More than once, he'd found Cloud asleep in the dark, sometimes in Leon's bedroom, sometimes in a spare room. For awhile, Cloud hadn't wandered. He'd kept close to home, but then...

Cloud was Cloud and Leon didn't expect to ever be able to change that. It was just a little disappointing at times, really, to know that despite what he hoped for...

Leon didn't really know what he hoped for. Maybe that was why he and Cloud never talked about it. Why they never made anything official of themselves...

He made his sandwich and ate it in silence, listening the slightest patter of rain against the kitchen window. Leon didn't think it was going to storm. This was just a little summer shower - he hadn't even felt rain in the air. Of course, he hadn't been looking for it. Unlike Cid, he didn't have any old injuries to help him with the forecast.

Maybe Aerith would have some idea where Cloud was. Leon hadn't seen her lately, either, except in passing.

He didn't want to be distant.

After finishing his sandwich, Leon set the plate in the sink and worked his way back through the house, lights on, lights off. He'd borrowed a book from the castle library, not that anyone was ever there to expect books to be returned. Yet he'd never noticed any truly going missing. Holes in the shelves were filled again.

Some things never changed.

After changing into sweatpants and an old t-shirt, Leon crawled into bed and started to read. The rain hadn't stopped, but it hadn't gotten any heavier, either. Just hard enough to keep him from opening the window and letting in the other sounds of Radiant Garden at night.

Three chapters later, he knew he was just reading the same paragraph over and over again without really absorbing it. The book was set aside, the light turned out...

Leon stared up into the darkness for a minute before closing his eyes and rolling to the side, exhaling and listening to the rain.

He hoped Cloud would be home soon.

Dragging himself back out of bed, Leon worked his way through the house, lights on, lights off, to leave a lamp on near the door. Just in case.

Cloud wouldn't disappoint him.

He'd just closed his eyes again when he heard the door. Leon couldn't help smiling as he reached to turn the bedside lamp back on.

Lights on. At least until they were both in bed this time.


End file.
